A three-way partnership model of tourism graduate employability

Abstract: The aim of this paper presentation is to show the employability of tourism graduates, using a three-way perspective. The concept of employability differs depending on the context, as well as the views of the people making employment decisions and those seeking employment. Graduates are not always employable, because they lack certain knowledge, skills, employability attributes, and practical work experience. Therefore, it has become imperative to ensure an adequate level of preparedness of tourism graduates, including their employability attributes, to enhance their chances of securing and sustaining employment in the tourism industry. The researcher adopted a sequential explanatory mixed method, which entailed combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The researcher conducted a quantitative survey on a purposive sample of 561 managers, supervisors and owners within the tourism industry and tourism graduates working in the tourism industry. The researcher used means, standard deviations, exploratory factor analysis and independent t-test. The qualitative research approach was applied to investigate graduate employability more in-depth. A total of twelve interviews were conducted with three academics within higher education institutions (HEIs) that offer a tourism qualification, three graduates working within the industry and three experts within the tourism industry. The researcher found a significant relationship between the professional skills, personality traits, knowledge skills and operation skill within the tourism industry. The researcher constructed a model to enhance graduate employability through a three-way perspective within the tourism industry. The model links all three partners the tourism graduate, tourism industry and Higher education institutions) that play a key role in the industry regarding the transfer of knowledge, skills and other employability attributes. The originality of this paper is that it constructed a model for the tourism industry to enhance graduate employability that links three partners, and creates further constructive debate

Determining tourism graduate employability, knowledge, skills, and competencies in a VUCA world : constructing a tourism employability model

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine tourism graduates’ employability, knowledge, skills, and competencies in a VUCA world by constructing a tourism employability model. The concept of employability differs depending on the context, as well as the views of the people making employment decisions and those seeking employment in a VUCA world. It has become imperative to ensure an adequate level of preparedness among tourism graduates in a world dominated by technology, by understanding what the important knowledge, skills, and competencies are to enhance graduates’ chances of securing and sustaining employment in the tourism industry in South Africa..

Employee training contributes to service quality and therefore sustainability

Abstract: The truism is that training contributes to employee growth and satisfaction but how does it impact on service quality? The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between human resources, employee productivity and sustainability within the golf club sector of the hospitality industry. The study aims to dispel the idea that training is not essential for both employee and organisation. The study used a mixed method approach with both quantitative and qualitative data to establish resource efficiency within golf clubs to ensure sustainability. Firstly, the questionnaire to the club managers provided data about the general human resource and employee information. Secondly, the interviews established the resources necessary to satisfy the needs of the members, which assist the clubs to remain sustainable. Training remains a necessary part of employee retention and staff development but also contributes to improved service quality. The retention of members and employees satisfies the aspects of economic and social sustainability, as there is an improvement in the business finances, as well as a positive impact on the community. The study reconfirms the necessity to upskill employees. Training is viewed as an incentive to the employee but contributes to the sustainability of the clubs because productivity and service quality is improved

Effects of Disorder State and Interfacial Layer on Thermal Transport in Copper/Diamond System

The characterization of Cu/diamond interface thermal conductance (hc) along with an improved understanding of factors affecting it are becoming increasingly important, as Cu-diamond composites are being considered for electronic packaging applications. In this study, ∼90 nm thick Cu layers weredeposited on synthetic and natural single crystal diamond substrates. In several specimens, a Ti-interface layer of thickness ≤3.5 nm was sputtered between the diamond substrate and the Cu top layer. The hc across Cu/diamond interfaces for specimens with and without a Ti-interface layer was determined usingtime-domain thermoreflectance. The hc is ∼2× higher for similar interfacial layers on synthetic versus natural diamond substrate. The nitrogen concentration of synthetic diamond substrate is four orders of magnitude lower than natural diamond. The difference in nitrogen concentration can lead to variations in disorder state, with a higher nitrogen content resulting in a higher level of disorder. This difference in disorder state potentially can explain the variations in hc. Furthermore, hc was observed to increase with an increase of Ti-interface layer thickness. This was attributed to an increased adhesion of Cu top layer with increasing Ti-interface layer thickness, as observed qualitatively in the current study

Implications of Therapy-Induced Selective Autophagy on Tumor Metabolism and Survival

Accumulating evidence indicates that therapies designed to trigger apoptosis in tumor cells cause mitochondrial depolarization, nuclear damage, and the accumulation of misfolded protein aggregates, resulting in the activation of selective forms of autophagy. These selective forms of autophagy, including mitophagy, nucleophagy, and ubiquitin-mediated autophagy, counteract apoptotic signals by removing damaged cellular structures and by reprogramming cellular energy metabolism to cope with therapeutic stress. As a result, the efficacies of numerous current cancer therapies may be improved by combining them with adjuvant treatments that exploit or disrupt key metabolic processes induced by selective forms of autophagy. Targeting these metabolic irregularities represents a promising approach to improve clinical responsiveness to cancer treatments given the inherently elevated metabolic demands of many tumor types. To what extent anticancer treatments promote selective forms of autophagy and the degree to which they influence metabolism are currently under intense scrutiny. Understanding how the activation of selective forms of autophagy influences cellular metabolism and survival provides an opportunity to target metabolic irregularities induced by these pathways as a means of augmenting current approaches for treating cancer

The relationship between perceived price and consumers' purchase intentions of private label wine brands

The primary objective of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived relative price, perceived value and consumers’ purchase intentions of private label wine brands within the retail sector in Johannesburg. Private Label Brands (PLBs) are products that the retailer owns, sells and distributes to consumers. If retailers can successfully influence the perceived value of their PLB wines, it will allow them to improve consumers’ purchase intentions, increase their profits and market share and gain a competitive edge over their brand name rivals. This study adds value to the limited research on the perceived value and purchase intentions of PLB wines in South Africa. A quantitative, descriptive, survey-based research approach was implemented. Participants were selected via a nonprobability convenience sampling method. In total, 250 questionnaires were used for analysis on the SPSS 22 statistical programme. Analysis included Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and simple linear regression analysis. The results indicated that the perceived relative price of PLB wines influenced the perceived value and suggested that there was a significant positive relationship between perceived value and consumers’ purchase intentions. It was recommended that Mass Grocery Retailers (MGRs) should adapt their PLB marketing and pricing strategies in order to change consumers’ perceived value and positively influence their purchase intentions with regard to PLB wines

When Cells Suffocate: Autophagy in Cancer and Immune Cells under Low Oxygen

Hypoxia is a signature feature of growing tumors. This cellular state creates an inhospitable condition that impedes the growth and function of all cells within the immediate and surrounding tumor microenvironment. To adapt to hypoxia, cells activate autophagy and undergo a metabolic shift increasing the cellular dependency on anaerobic metabolism. Autophagy upregulation in cancer cells liberates nutrients, decreases the buildup of reactive oxygen species, and aids in the clearance of misfolded proteins. Together, these features impart a survival advantage for cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment. This observation has led to intense research efforts focused on developing autophagy-modulating drugs for cancer patient treatment. However, other cells that infiltrate the tumor environment such as immune cells also encounter hypoxia likely resulting in hypoxia-induced autophagy. In light of the fact that autophagy is crucial for immune cell proliferation as well as their effector functions such as antigen presentation and T cell-mediated killing of tumor cells, anticancer treatment strategies based on autophagy modulation will need to consider the impact of autophagy on the immune system

\u27\u27When we speak faculty listen:\u27\u27 Exploring potential spaces for students to support lecturer academic development

Lecturers’ engagement in professional development activities to enhance their academic practice is firmly embedded within the landscape of higher education. Although enhancing the student learning experience underpins teaching-related continuing professional development (CPD), interestingly the role of students in supporting such activities has been underexplored. Drawing on data captured from eight student representatives interviewed in the context of an international impact evaluation, we examine student awareness of, and attitudes towards, lecturers’ CPD. Participants recognised the value of lecturers engaging in CPD but believed it to be an activity they were removed from, and had little opportunity to engage with. We consider how this perspective could be changed in two ways. Firstly, we reflect on the experiences of students at one university where their contributions to lecturers’ development were legitimised and valued. Secondly, we discuss the potential of integrative approaches, such as students as consultants or reverse mentoring. We argue that these approaches may challenge existing hierarchies that limit students engaging in lectures and create spaces through which students can positively contribute to lecturers’ CPD

Evaluating academic development in the higher education sector: academic developers’ reflections on using a toolkit resource

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